[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 46 (Monday, November 20, 2000)]
[Pages 2884-2885]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President Jiang Zemin 
of China in Bandar Seri Begawan

November 16, 2000

2000 Presidential Election

    Q. President Clinton, do you feel the chaos in Florida makes it 
difficult for the U.S. to criticize other countries' elections?
    The President. Well, first of all, they're having their--let's wait 
and see how it's resolved here. I think that there will be a lot of 
pressure to improve the form and ballots and the methods in voting and 
have more clear standards around the country. But I think as long as 
this thing is resolved in a way that people perceive as fair and having 
counted everybody's vote who lawfully went to the polls to vote--I think 
that it shouldn't be surprising if over 100 million people vote and the 
result is close--it takes a while to resolve. It depends on whether the 
people perceive it's fair when it's over.

China-U.S. Relations

    Q. Mr. President, what message do you have for your successor on 
U.S.-China relations?
    The President. That I believe we have made some real progress in 
developing a mature, honest, and open relationship that is basically 
quite positive. And I'm very pleased that the Congress approved the 
permanent

[[Page 2885]]

normal trading relations and that China's going into the World Trade 
Organization. I'm very pleased that the work we've done together on 
nonproliferation and a host of other items, and I think we should 
continue to build on this relationship. I think it's very important for 
the United States. And I hope that we'll continue to be active across a 
whole broad range of issues, including through this organization, to 
build a common economic future. That would be my message.
    You probably want to know more about it than my successor will.

 Note:  The exchange began at 5:53 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the Orchid 
Garden Hotel. A tape was not available for verification of the content 
of this exchange.